POLICE want to hear from people in the West Midlands affected by the recent disorder and looting in the region.

Officers have launched an on-line forum to collect anecdotes of members of the public, which can be used in future court proceedings.

Those affected are being urged to contribute to a ‘community impact statement’, via the force’s website.

The statements are designed to guarantee courts understand the damage caused to a community, a neighbourhood or individuals by crime. Police will collate the statements and hand them to magistrates and judges over the coming weeks, so they can be armed with the information ahead of passing sentence and listening to appeals.

Chief Superintendant Steve Anderson said: “We would ask people to send us their experiences of how witnessing the events may have upset or traumatised them.

"The kind of examples we are looking for include if people no longer feel safe living or shopping or socialising in an area following the disturbances or whether individuals have had to change travel plans or cut short a holiday. All entries will remain anonymous unless people have a desire to be heard. We want to make sure that people’s experiences are recorded.”